Reserve Mines Woman Gets Year In Jail For Defrauding Government Department

A Reserve Mines woman who defrauded the Community Services Department of more than $165,000 has been sentenced to 12 months in jail.

During her sentencing hearing yesterday, the court heard that 43 year-old Michelle Raylene MacEachern committed the crime to feed a drug habit.

Over an eight-month period beginning in June of 2013, MacEachern made a series of more than 800 unauthorized transactions at the department’s Glace Bay office by depositing funds directly into her personal accounts.

The spree ended when it was discovered during a random audit.

MacEachern’s lawyer had been seeking a 90-day sentence to be served on weekends.

However, the Crown asked for a jail sentence of 12 to 18 months.

MacEachern was also ordered to pay restitution of nearly 60-thousand dollars on a remaining balance left after the department clawed back pension contributions.